Oluremi Tinubu hosts Nigeria's first ever female Sandhurst-trained officer Oluchukwu Owowoh

NIGERIA'S first ever graduate from Britain's illustrious Sandhurst Royal Military Academy Second Lieutenant Oluchukwu Owowoh has been hosted by first lady Oluremi Tinubu in Abuja over the weekend who described her as exemplary.

Since before independence, Sandhurst has always produced some of Nigeria's finest officers, training the likes of Zakariya Maimalari, Yakubu Gowon, Benjamin Adekunle, Murtala Mohammed, etc. An elite academy, Sandhurst prides itself on only producing the best  but up until now, it only produced male soldiers for the Nigerian Army.

Last week, Second Lieutenant Owowoh, 24, joined 134 other officer cadets in London for the sovereign’s parade, marking the culmination of 44 weeks of rigorous training as part of the Commissioning Course 232. After the event, Mrs Tinubu was said to have commended Lt Owowoh for her outstanding performance and resilience throughout her training, describing her as a shining example for Nigerian youths.

Mrs Tinubu said: “Your determination and resilience are quite remarkable and you are an inspiration to the youth of this country. As a woman, the first who has made a mark in a male-dominated field, I salute you.

“This is just the beginning. You are now a reference point for all Nigerian youths. If you remain focused and positive, you will reach your goal in life.”

In addition, Mrs Tinubu was also said to have requested the presence of the wife of the vice president, the wife of the speaker of the House of Representatives, wives of ministers and the wives of the service chiefs to give her a standing ovation. Major General John Ochai, the commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), added that Lt Owowoh was the best of the 200 selected cadets from the NDA.

He stated that she excelled in three areas, which were academics, military subjects and physical fitness. According to General Ochai, she has since been assigned to the Nigerian Military Intelligence Unit on her return to the country.